Mistletoe

December 20th

Saturday December 20th

11.26am

"I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow," I mumbled as we walked towards the Christmas market. When Parker had suggested going again because now that it was snowing it'd be a whole different experience, I had agreed right away. The market was a happy place for me and I couldn't imagine where else I'd want to be on our last full day together.

"Me neither," Parker said, "I wish I could stay longer."

Oh, how I wished that as well. The thing was I knew he was leaving tomorrow, but it hadn't fully sunk in yet for some reason. Right now it was just a mere thought in the back of my mind, because I couldn't imagine Parker leaving when he was standing here right beside me.

"You and me both," I told him as we rounded the corner towards the town square.

It was the same as it'd been last week, but still momentarily different. Everything was covered in white now, and lights twinkled in trees and around wooden poles against the snow. The booths were also covered with a light layer of snow, and piles of it had been shoveled to the side to create space for people to walk. An ice rink that hadn't been here six days ago had been put up next to the christmas tree.

We went and got ourselves some hot chocolate to help keep warm while we walked around. Everyone seemed to have fallen into a rhythm now and everything was much more elaborate than it had been on that first day. There were also a lot more kids here now and they ran around with santa hats on their heads, laughing and squealing as snowballs whizzed past their faces.

This time we were in no kinds of hurry and we strolled through the snow, looking at what the booths had to offer. After some browsing I ended up buying a set of fairy lights to hang in my room, and also a snowglobe with a penguin inside. Parker offered to get it but feeling self conscious about letting him buy stuff for me kept be from accepting.

It was now officially too cold - not to mention wet - to sit on the ground and so we found a bench to lounge on while we drank our hot chocolates and people watched.

"Everybody seems so happy here," I noted as smiles and laughter surrounded me.

"Well, December's a happy month," Parker answered and I looked up at him from where I was resting my head on his shoulder.

"Of course you would say that, you love December."

His piercing eyes met mine, "What's not to love?" Parker's smile was one of mischief and he cupped my chin and kissed the space between my eyebrows, my nose and last my mouth. Each spot where his skin had been in contact with mine burned with heat and my entire body was yearning for more. Unable to control myself I leant into the kiss as it grew more urgent, my fingers found their way to his wavy hair and closed into a fist around the blonde tendrils.

Parker was the one who seemed to realize we were in a public place and eventually he broke away from me and rested his forehead against mine as we both panted.

"If this is you trying to coheres me into staying, it's working," he whispered, his breath hot on my face.

"A girl can dream," I told him even though what he was accusing me of wasn't my intention at all. Of course I wanted him to stay, but I'd never trick or force him to do so. No, the choice to leave and later come back had to be all his.

We sat there for a little while, wrapped in each other's arms and watching the others until I could feel myself getting cold. I buried my face in the crook of his neck in the hopes of soaking up some of his body heat. "Want to go skating?" I asked after a few more moments of silence.